Ebay gave me refund after item arrived.

[Eelus]

I bought an electronic item weeks ago on ebay for £300. It was supposed to be delivered first class but item didn't arrive, no contact with seller, so I opened a case. Seller then kept saying he had sent it but didn't provide tracking details and item still didn't arrive so I escalated the case. Buyer then provided tracking and ebay said they would decide on the case in 5 days time. Eventually the item turned up, I signed for it and thought that was that.
Then on the fifth day, just as I was leaving for my holiday I check my emails and during the night ebay have refunded me the full amount. By the time I get to the airport 6.30am I have a rude message from the seller (previously it would take him days to respond to my messages) telling me I better sort it out with ebay. I decide he's messed me around enough, he can sort it out.
I came back yesterday (after 2 weeks away) fully expecting the money to have been taken out of my account. I have no problem with paying for the item, I'm not trying to con anyone.
However the money is still in my paypal account and I have no further messages from the seller. I phoned ebay support and all they suggested was gifting him the money directly through paypal.
I am reluctant to do this because
a - I don't then have any seller protection if it stops working next week.
b - if he pursues me for the money through ebay how can I prove the gifted money was for the item
c - BIL says in these cases if seller complains to ebay, ebay refund the money back to the seller themselves. There's no way this guy deserves 2 lots of payment for shoddy service.
Ebay were completly uncommital when I raised the above with them. What do I do?
I don't want the money, but the sellers been a pain and I don't want to pay without full protection.

That's complicated enough I would ask on the Ebay buyer's board about best way forward.

I am astounded he sent a £300 item via first class delivery - uninsured much? Why can't you just log into paypal or eBay and pay again? I do not think for one minute eBay will just give him £300 out of their own pockets.

It was sent first class signed for, I signed for the item, it shows on the tracking that I received and signed for it.
I can't pay for the item again as there is no invoice to pay.
I can gift the seller through paypal, but it would then become a seperate transaction and I have no way of proving I have paid for the item should ebay reverse their decision to refund me.
I'm also finding it strange that the seller hasn't been in touch for over 2 weeks.

that is as maybe - but it wasn't insured for £300 unless it was sent special delivery.

eBay will not reverse the refund. If you send the seller a payment then that is proof you have paid. You get an email every time you pay so that is your proof.

Is it possible you could agree with the seller that if they make a new Buy It Now listing for the item for £300 then you will buy that?

In this way, you would have the item and buyer protection under the second listing, and the seller would have the £300.

Although to be honest unless you got a screaming bargain and wouldn't be able to get another for a similar price I'd be inclined to tell the seller that if they gift the postage cost to you you'll return the item to them.

By the way, this:

BIL says in these cases if seller complains to ebay, ebay refund the money back to the seller themselves

is rubbish.

"By the way, this:

BIL says in these cases if seller complains to ebay, ebay refund the money back to the seller themselves

is rubbish."

They do actually. It has happened to me, but only on a low value item. The buyer claimed non delivery after only a couple of days and escalated it to CS immediately without contacting me . No doubt, courtesy of Royal Mail, it arrived a day or two later. No skin off my nose, but don't understand why they do this

It's rubbish because of the suggestion that it's something that will happen. ebay might do this from time to time but I'd say in the majority of cases they don't. The likelihood is that without the OP providing a solution the seller will have lost the item and lost the money.

60feel - you may have had your money back because eBay gave a no fault refund but I would have thought in all likelihood it was because the buyer cancelled the claim.

Just pay the money Ffs poor seller